Ever felt sick of English-language LGBT journalism that, no matter how many times we radical queers around the world denounce it, continues to portray and represent queers in non-English-speaking regions in often racist, ethnocentric, colonial, progressivist, and quite shallow ways with a hint of Messiah Complex? I have.

Masaki regularly expresses frustration about how LGBTQ+ politics in Japan is portrayed by media outside of the country, and clarifies:

The most (stereo)typical, all-too-common article written in English never fails to make the following clear:

>>Japan lags behind the West. There’s nothing legal about gay partnerships, and people there are afraid to come out.

>>But things are changing. And such changes are welcomed with enthusiasm by all LGBTs in Japan.

Masaki helps clear up the confusion via a vlog hosted on YouTube, called Masaki's QueerESL. “Feeling a bit disappointed in text as a medium/format for communicating ideas to the public,” Masaki says in the introduction to the channel, “I started making videos about LGBT, queer, and feminist issues!”

One of Masaki's latest vlogs is “5 Things You Didn't Know About LGBTQs in Japan”:

In the interview, besides talking about his background (he's lived in the US and in New Zealand, and now operates a bar in a rural area outside of Tokyo), Masaki also makes a few observations about what kinds of different LGBTQ+ communities and intersections exist in Japan, and shares his feelings about whether LGBTQ+ people are well represented in Japanese pop culture (for the Anime Feminist interview, Masaki provided both the Japanese and English-language text):

On a side note, I do not believe in accurate representation. We’re so diverse that it’s impossible to depict any of the subgroups of LGBTQ+ and be accurate. But, that doesn’t mean you can depict us based on the stereotypes. That’s annoying, and not very creative anyway.

When asked about his impression of yaoi/BL anime and manga, which presents queer male relationships for a target audience of heterosexual women, Masaki says:

I must admit I love them. I know many gay men and straight men loathe yaoi/BL, but I have to say, they’re awesome. […] Yaoi/BL still is the basis of my identity, which helped me accept my bisexuality greatly. I am grateful to all yaoi/BL creators for that.

As for how everyday life is different for LGBTQ+ people in Japan compared to the US or New Zealand, Masaki says:

[In Japan] it’s ‘fun’ to act like a bigot. It’s ‘boring’ to be accepting. It doesn’t matter how much of a bigot or an ally you may be underneath. Just act like a bigot, say ‘fags are kimoi‘ [gross], have a man kiss another man for a batsu game, whatever. It’s ‘funny’ and no one complains, because if you complain, you’re ‘boring’. Even no media company takes it seriously when they receive complaints about their homophobic and/or transphobic programs.

The whole interview is wide-ranging, and provides many insights into Masaki's own perception of LGBTQ+ culture in Japan.

Throughout the interview, as well as on his blogs and in his vlogs, Masaki is always careful to note that his observations of Japan are his alone, and that “he speaks for himself, not for some imaginary Japanese LGBTQ+ monolith.”